Dehydrator



Aug. 7, 1945. G. A. LARSON DEHYDRATOR Z waz for: Graziawe/Z Larsoyu- 5 J 5 m w ,7 n J Patented Aug. 7,1945

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" -2, :s1,s54 a I 2 Claims- (01.210-131) hydrators, more particularly, to those types of dehydrating deviceswhich are used in connection with refrigeration and/or air conditioning apparatus, the invention having. for an object to provide a dehydrator of the indicated character which, when installed, will function to remove moisture from the utilized refrigerant liquid and hence, eliminate those operational dimculties at tendant its presence in the same.

It is also an object of the invention to provide adehydrator so constructed as to be apparatus installable orremovable in and with a minimum of labor expenditure; moreover, when desired or required, a device which may be conveniently and quickly serviced for dehydrating material refill, etc., without disturbing or otherwise afiecting its original connection with the equipped refrigerant liquid circulating conduits.

Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide a dehydrator. wherein a, maximum of moisture will be absorbed thereby in a minimum of time.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a dehydrator in which the coursing pf refrigerant liquid therethrough will, by necessity, be through the entire dehydrating material body or area provided thereby, thus,'ensuring a maximum removal of moisture and at the same time,

principles, but that modifications and changes may be made in specific embodiments without departing from its essential features.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved dehydrator, showing it installed in the refrigerant liquid circulating conduits of a refrigerating or air conditioning apparatus.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the lower portion of the dehydrator, takenat substantially right angles to Figure 1, showing the manner and the extent of engagement of the battle plate in the 'dehydr'ant container, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken, approximately,'on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the y direction in which the arrows point.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, my improved device consists of a circular head I formed with a substantially flat normally inner side, while the outer portion thereof is provided with an integral rectangularly shaped body or thickened portion 2. The head I and the rectangularly shaped body 2 may be and prefer A ably are cast from suitable metal. The head I is inner side of the chamber is slightly concaved" and communicates with ways or chambers 3 and 4, formed in the rectangularly shaped body or thickened portion 2. The outer or upper end portions of the chambers or ways 3 and 4 com municate with laterally disposed inlet and outlet ports, which, in turn, are internally screw threaded and adapted-to have the inlet and outlet portions of conduits 5 and 6, respectively, engaged therein, as is also shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing. As will be understood, the conduits 5 and 6 serve to convey refrigerant liquid to and from the dehydrator when the latter is installed in a. refrigerating or air conditioning apparatus.

, The chambers or ways 3 and 4 provided the thickened portion or rectangularly shaped body 2 are separated by means of a wall I transversely disposed therethrough and extending into and somewhat beyond the chambered head I. That portion of the wall I received in the chamber of the head I is widened. as will be observed upon throughout its length for a purpose which, too,

will be hereinafter more fully described..

Integral radially disposed ribs l0 and II, are

provided the chambered portion of the head I and, as will be noted, the depths of the ribs ID are such that they extend into substantially horizontal alignment with the shoulder 9 of the wall 'I, while the ribs II are of considerably lesser or extended end of the wall 1, as will be observed upon reference to Figure l of the accompanying drawing.

To facilitate the engagement of connecting means or devices with the circular head I, I may and preferably do form a plurality of relatively equi-spaced and circularly arranged openings, generally indicated by the numeral l3, therein.

Semi-circular screen pieces l4 and I5 are snugly received within the head chamber upon opposite sides of that portion of the wall 1 engaged or received therethrough. The screen I4, as will be noted, is seated upon the outer extremities of the radially disposed ribs I0 and the shouldered portion 9 of said wall I, while the screen is seated upon the outer ends of the shallower ribs H and the horizontally aligned shouldered portion 8 of the wall 1. A filtering body l6,

made of felt or other suitable material, of size and shape to be snugly received within that portion of the head chamber communicating with the way 4, is engaged with the adjacent side of the screen l5. Such filtering body, obviously, will serve to prevent loss or passage of the dehydrant material by the screen ll! into and through the outlet way 4 and its connected conduits 6.

A cross-sectionally circular and somewhat elongated cup-like container l1 is provided the head I and, as will be noted upon reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, has its open and normally upper end formed with a right angularly disposed annular flange or lip l8. The inside diameter of the container I1 is such that it will snugly engage over the tapered outer side of the annular flange 12 provided the normally inner side of the head I. Also, it will be noted that the lower or free end portion of the wall I, with engagement of the container 11 over the annular flange l2, will have been engaged or extended for a distance downwardly into said container.

A rectangularly shaped baflie plate or wall I9 is detachably engaged, at one end, in the slotted free and lower end of the wall I, as is shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing. The width of this baffle plate or wall I9 is such that it will be snugly received within the medial portion of the container H, while its length is such that the lower ends or corners thereof will be brought to bear upon or will be arranged imme-.-. diately adjacent the radii of its curved bottom, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. Thus, it will be seen that the container I! will be longitudinally and substantially medially divided by the baffle plate or wall 19, except for its curved lower end portion.

In order that the container II may be securely connected to the circular head I, its open upper end is snugly or even bindingly engaged over the tapered outer sides of the annular flange [2 with its right angularly disposed flange or lip bearing upon a suitable packing gasket interposed between the same and an adjacentrp'ortion of the normally inner side of the circular head I. At this time, a clamping annulus or ring 2! is engaged over and about the new upper portionot the container H in bearing contact with the adjacent side of the aforesaid flange or lip i8. Connecting bolts, generally designated by the numeral 22, are passed through the equi-spaced circularly disposed openings l3 of the circular head I downwardly through correspondingly arranged openings provided in said clamping annulus or ring 2|, whereupon nuts or other suitable locking devices 23 are turned into engagement with their screw threaded extremities, hence, efiecting a positive clamping connection between the circular head I of the improved dehydrator and its container M.

It, of course, will be understood that in usage of my improved dehydrator, the cup-like container I! will be filled with suitable dehydrant material, indicated at H, as for example, silica gel, activated alumina, anhydrous calcium chloride, etc., displacement or loss of which from the container through either the apparatus conduits 5 or-6 will be prevented by the hereinbefore described screens l4 and I5 and the filtering body' In operation of my improved dehydrator and assuming that the same has. been installed in a refrigeration or air conditioning refrigerant liquid' circulating system, i. e., the inlet and outlet conduits 5 and 6, as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, said refrigerant liquid, such as methyl chloride, sulphur dioxide, etc., will enter the inlet ,side of the rectangularly shaped body or thickened portion 2v via the inlet conduit 5, whereupon it will pass through the way 3 into the communicating portion of the head provided chamber, thence through the screen l4 into the dehydrant provided or filled container II. The circulating force or pressure of the refrigerant liquid will now cause it to be passed downwardly through the dehydrant in the container l'l through the channel provided by the battle Plate or wall l9, and the corresponding or left side of said container l1, thence along the curved bottom of said container under the lower end of the baflle plate 19, and thereupon, up-

" wardly through the dehydrant material on the outlet side of the container, i. e., the opposite side of the baflle plate l9 and the remaining side of the container I1. The refrigerant liquid will continue its upward travel, as indicated, passing through the filtering body l6, where it will be relieved or freed from the dehydrant material, thence through the screen l5 through the outlet way 4 into the outlet conduit 6.

When required, the dehydrant material provided the container [1 may be replenished or replaced, merely by. disconnecting the hereinbefore described bolts 22, whereby to release and permit dropping of the clamping annulus or ring 1 2i, and thereupon, downward disengagement of the open and upper end of the container I1 from the tapered annular flange I: of the dehydrator head I. With refill, the container ll, of course, is re-engaged and reconnected to the dehydrator head I, in the manner hereinbefore described.

It is, of course, to be understood that the'container I! may be constructed in different sizes or lengths, to satisfactorily or efliciently accommostrainer.

. justed, inasmuch as dehydrant refill of the device is effected, solely and entirely, by disengagement and subsequent re-engagement of the container I! with the fixedly installed dehydrator head.

By comparatively slight modification of the construction of the plate or wall l9, my improved device may be advantageously converted into a Such conversion, if desired, can be readily eifected by replacing the solid or imperforate element IS with one of foraminated or perforate formation, i. e., a screen or its equivalent, which, instead of extending medially into the container I! to a point near, but spaced from its bottom, will preferably extend throughout its entire length or depth into engagement with said bottom. Thus, liquid flowing into the container I'I via its inlet port, will pass through the foraminated body and suitable filtering or strainingmaterial in the container, to and through its outlet port. Thereby, the liquid will-be freed or strained of all undesired foreign matter.

I claim:

1. A dehydrator, comprising a head having a 'multi-ported chamber therein opening onto its normally inner side, a portion of the chamber being enlarged, a wall in the head dividing said chamber, ribs on the head in one side of the enlarged portion of the chamber, screening means in said side bearing upon the adjacent portions of said ribs and upon an adjacent side portion of said wall, filtering means in the remaining side of said enlarged portion of the chamber, said wall having a way formed in and disposed longitudinally of its inner and free marginal portion, a container connected to and communicating with the normally inner side of the head, and a baffle plate removably engaged at one end in the way insaid wall and extending into said container.

2. A dehydrator, comprising a head having an internal chamber opening onto its normally inner side and ways in the normally outer side communicating with the chamber, the normally inner portion'of said chamber being enlarged, a fixed wall in the head intermediately of the chamber having its free side extended for a distance beyond the normally inner side of the head and formed with a longitudinally disposed way, spaced ribs on the inner extremity of the enlarged chamber portion on one side of the fixed walls, screening means in said side bearing upon the adjacent portions of said ribs and upon an adjacent side portion of said wall, filtering means in the remaining side of said enlarged portion of the chamber, a container detachably connected to and communicating with the normally inner side of the head, and a baflle plate removably engaged at one end in the way in said walLand extending into said container. v

GUSTAVE A. LARSON. 

